March 30, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team played well for eight innings on Sunday against Penn State at Lambert Field. However, it was that one other inning, the fourth inning, that proved costly as the Boilermakers fell to the Nittany Lions 14-4. Penn State erupted for 13 runs in the fourth on ten hits.
With the defeat, Purdue fell to 11-10 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten competition. Penn State improved to 3-1 in the conference and 8-10 overall on the season.
In a scoreless tie entering the fourth inning, Purdue pitching had surrendered four hits and two walks. In the top of the fourth, the Boilermakers used three pitchers as Penn State tallied five singles, four doubles, three walks, two hit-by-pitches and one home run en route to a 13-run explosion.
Nick McIntyre homered in the bottom of the fourth, his third home run of the season, to put Purdue on the scoreboard.
Penn State answered the Boilermaker run with a run in the fifth to extend the lead back to 13 runs. In the home half of the fifth, Eric Wolfe reached base on an error by the Lion third baseman and advanced to second on a two-out single by Mitch Koester. Andy Rempel singled to right-center to drive in Wolfe from second with the Boilermakers' second run.
In the bottom of the eighth, Rempel singled to left-center and McIntyre singled through the right side of the infield to give Purdue two baserunners. John Hunter hit a pinch-hit single through the right side to load the bases to force PSU starter Jim Farrell from the mound. Simon Klink hit a high bouncing grounder to third that forced McIntyre out at third base, but scored Rempel from third. Ryan Dallas followed with a single up the middle to drive in Hunter from second with the final run of the game.
Josh Herman (0-1) was hit with the loss, pitching one inning and allowing five runs on six hits. In the game, Purdue used six pitchers and allowed 15 hits while walking nine batters.
For the Boilermaker offense, Andy Rempel and Nick McIntyre led the way with two hits, one run scored and one RBI each.
Purdue next plays in Muncie, Ind., against the Cardinals of Ball State. The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Ball Diamond.